


Dean, Sam, and Cas' Halloween Adventure

by Stkirsch



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Candy, De-Aged Sam Winchester, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Trick or Treating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-29 01:18:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5111099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stkirsch/pseuds/Stkirsch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to a mishap in the Men of Letters Bunker Sam, is de-aged. Faced with a 10-year-old Sam, Dean and Cas decide to make the best of it and use it as an opportunity to take Sam trick or treating for Halloween</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Office](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Office/gifts).



> Thanks to Naoe and Charmangel for encouraging me to finally get off my ass and write after all of these years. Everyone please excuse the screwy formatting. I did the best I could for my first attempt and with little time to correct before posting.

As far as the average hunter’s workload went, October had been slow. Sam found himself with a lot of time on his hands and a lack of cases for them to investigate. Without any hunts or paranormal activity, he set to work cataloging and organizing the contents of the bunker’s impressive collection of books and supernatural artifacts. While he occupied his days buried in dusty stacks of papers, journals, and barely readable notes, Dean focused on the tasks of daily operations and general building upkeep, keeping an eye on all the things Sam neglected in his eagerness to sift through the contents of the bunker.

     Two weeks had been spent in the endeavor. Days and hours bled together as books slowly revealed their secrets hinting at where they should be placed within the immense Men of Letters collection. From sunrise to sundown Sam neglected everything in favor of sorting through the books in the library. Dean periodically appeared at his brother’s side, a plate of sandwiches in one hand, a drink in the other.

“Eat Sammy,” Dean insisted as he set the food on the table Sam used as his center of operation.

“Oh! I kind of lost track of time,” Sam said, then picked up a sandwich and continued to read as he ate.

Determined to make some headway in his quest to find a place for everything and a thing for every place, Sam slogged through various books while instructing his brother where to place them. By the end of the day, Dean had grown tired of his multiple trips to the storage room.

“Come on Sam let’s call it a night” Dean said, followed by a yawn and a stretch.

Despite his own drooping eyes and fatigue, Sam motioned to a book he was puzzling over and muttered, “Yeah, yeah, just give me a few more minutes. I keep reading this passage over and over again and I can’t quite figure out what it means. If I can’t figure out what it means I won’t know where to put it. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Suit yourself nerd, but if you don’t get some rest soon I’m coming back, hauling your ass out of that chair, and dragging you to bed. Don’t think I won’t do it!” With that Dean turned on his heel and headed towards the bunker’s sleeping quarters.

Sam struggled to stay awake and finish what he started. Shaking his head he decided to read it out loud as a means of keeping himself on point. No sooner had the last words of the passage left his mouth than he doubled over in pain. He cried out before he began to fall from his seat, clutching at the table for purchase, a cascade of dusty books falling on top of him.

“Sam!? Sam!” Having heard the commotion, Dean raced to the library only to come to a screeching halt. He stared in disbelief at the young boy on the floor near the library table.

“What the fuck?!”

A movement and groan from the boy before him, jolted Dean back into motion. Dean checked his pulse and respiration and then pushed the scattered journals and other assorted mess aside to get a better look at his face. There before him lay Sam as Dean remembered him at the age of ten. How the hell did this even happen, Dean wondered. Saying a silent prayer to Cas, he made sure to inspect the boy (Sam?) for injuries. A soft flapping sound alerted Dean to the arrival of Cas in the bunker.

“Dean?” Cas.

“There is something incredibly trippy going on here Cas. I’m pretty certain this is Sam,” Dean said, the air punched out of him, a small squeak at the end of his statement.

“That’s definitely Sam. I can see his soul, but what has happened to him?”

“Hell if I know! I went to bed, leaving him in the library here to do research. Then I heard him cry out in pain, and came running, only to find him like this, a ten-year-old Sam!” Dean rushed out, a pained look on his face. “Help me get him over to a sofa while we figure this out.”

“What was he researching when you left him?” questioned Cas as they moved Sam.

“I don’t know.”

Dean left Cas with Sam on the sofa to sift through the books that were on and around Sam’s workstation. He breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the stroke of luck, that the book Sam had been reading was still open and undisturbed on the table. Clutching it to his chest, he hurried back to Cas and opened it to the last page Sam had been reading.

“This is a book of spell work and incantations,” Cas said as he ran his hand down the page, following the inky script. “It appears the Men of Letters had developed a de-aging spell.”

“What?” asked Dean. “Why would they even need something like that?”

“This wasn’t catalogued very well,” Cas hummed, clicking his tongue. “This probably could have been avoided if he knew what he was dealing with.”

“Hellooo, I’m right here. I need answers, buddy.”

“My apologies Dean,” he said with a slight look of embarrassment.

“It seems that the Men of Letters had perfected a de-aging spell as a means of infiltrating and gaining access to areas where an adult’s presence could be detrimental to a research mission. Sam must have accidentally read the incantation out loud and activated the spell.”

“Great,” Dean huffed in relief, “help me undo it.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. It isn’t an ailment. It isn’t something I can heal,” sighed Cas.

“What?! What do you expect us to do Cas!”

“Well, it doesn’t appear to have lasting effects. It will wear off in a few week’s time.”

“A few week’s time,” Dean mumbled, “and you’re sure it’s not going to hurt him, no strange side effects?”

Placing a comforting hand on Dean’s shoulder and giving him a reassuring look, Cas said, “Apart from the shock of being a child again, and the physical limitations that come with his altered state, I’d say you have nothing to worry about.”

“Okay, I guess I can work with that,” Dean breathed out in relief.

While Dean slowly began to calm down and relax to Cas’ reassurances, Sam began to stir.

“What’s he gonna be like Cas? Am I going to have to endure his brat stage again, because I can barely deal with him when he’s in grown-man bitch mode.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Sam moaned, startled into full wakefulness by his own prepubescent voice.

“It lives!” Dean chortled, clapping his hand on Sam’s much smaller shoulder. “Do you want to fill him in Cas or should I?”

Cas gave a noncommittal shrug so Dean went about the business of explaining how Sam had screwed himself into a temporary trip in the Way Back Machine. Sam was having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that he would have an extended stay in his 10 year old body.

“So let me get this straight. I’m still thirty-year-old me inside, I mean I feel like thirty-year-old me, in the head that is.”

“Yup” said Dean with a distinct pop at the end of his answer.

“That makes no sense. What’s the point in that?” Sam said with an air of annoyance.

“Well, Shrimp,” it had been decades since Dean had been able to use that particular nickname on him and he used it with glee, “Had you paid a little more attention before you went spouting spells off at the mouth, you would have known that the Men of Letters used the spell when they had to engage in some Spy vs Spy shit. It wouldn’t do for them to gather information while impaired by the hormone-supercharged Kirk brain that all pre-teens and their families have to endure. So while your brain might be thirty, you’re limited by your physical age.”

Assured by Cas that all would end well Dean began to revel in his little brother’s predicament, “So, seeing as we have no secret spy missions to send you on, you’re benched for the time being. No hunts until you’re back to your old self.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Considering his first childhood sucked, Sam’s second one is fairly decent. Unlike his first go around, there’s a lot more stability in his life at the moment. He has a home with Dean, something he only dreamed of while growing up in the wake of John Winchester’s parenting and personal crusade. He has no pressure of school work or need to use education as a means of escape.

Besides, he lives in sleeping proximity to an amazing library of resource materials. Lastly, he has the company of one true friend, something he could never seem to hold onto with his transient lifestyle as the child of a hunter.

Cas had decided to stay with the brothers for the duration of the spell, lending a hand wherever needed.

His temporary predicament had also granted him the ability to watch his brother and friend unobserved.

Without his massive stature and overshadowing presence in the room, he was in a position to study the dynamic of the two more closely. From his seat on one of the library sofas, curled up with a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he witnessed the comfortable camaraderie shared by the two and the way they often operated in each other’s orbits. He would make himself near invisible when his brother would insist on introducing Cas to a movie Dean deemed necessary to Cas’ understanding of the human condition.

“Pop culture is the language of the masses,” Dean would say while bumping shoulders with the angel sitting next to him, “I’ll have you understanding my references soon enough.”

While Sam spent his days reading, Dean and Cas spent their time watching movies. Dean introduced Cas to all manner of action adventures and comedies. He managed to keep from complaining when Cas developed a liking for romantic comedies. They were’t so bad even with the chick flick moments and they seemed to make Cas happy.

One evening, Sam glanced up from his book to find Dean crossing the room with a bowl of popcorn in his hands.

“Shove over, Sammy,” Dean said, as he settled himself between Sam and Cas, since they had planted themselves on opposite sides of the sofa. Dean reached for the television remote with one hand while passing the popcorn bowl to Cas with the other.

“Dean, what are you doing?” asked Sam, as his brother began to channel surf.

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Well, watching TV actually, but you usually put in a movie,” Sam replied.

“It just so happens that we’re going to resurrect a long forgotten and abandoned Winchester tradition,” Dean quipped. At that, both Cas and Sam slowly turned their heads owl-like and fixed him with slow-blinking stares. Both spoke simultaneously, Sam with a “but we have no family traditions,” while Cas questioned with a bit of surprise, “You have family traditions?”

“Yes,” Dean exclaimed, as Sam answered with a put upon “Um No. We don’t.”

“Whatever, Sam,” Dean muttered as he continued to search for the program he had been looking for. “There it is. I heard it was on tonight,” Dean said as the opening music of It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown began to play.

“Seriously Dean? I was reading,” Sam groused.

Dean swung his arm along the sofa behind Cas and angled his body towards his little brother.

“It occurred to me the other day that we might as well make the best of this weird situation you’ve found yourself in Sammy,” Dean confided, looking fondly at his little brother.

Dean turned towards Cas to fill him in, “When we were growing up with Dad, being dragged from one town and dingy motel to another, this was our October evenings and Halloween season, Charlie Brown specials and the occasional monster movie. And even those were few and far between because who wants to watch monster movies when you know that shit is real? The movies just get it all wrong anyway.”

“So your family tradition was to watch television,” Cas puzzled.

“Pretty much. Yeah. It was the only stable thing we could rely on every stinking year to be played during the month of October. Even though Sam and I never got a chance to dress up and go trick or treating, we knew for certain that Peanuts would be on TV,” Dean answered, throwing a handful of popcorn in his mouth for emphasis.

“I’d pop some popcorn, we’d watch, and talk about all the candy we would get if we were ever given the chance to go out on Halloween.”

Dean found himself staring sadly at the bowl of popcorn in Cas’ lap, “Between the anniversary of mom’s death being so close and real things that go bump in the night, there was no way Dad was ever going to let that happen.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember now,” Sam added.

Dean glared at him, “Shhh, we’re missing our show.”

When the special ended, Cas reflected on what he’d just seen. “There are interesting themes in your program, Dean. The child in the pumpkin patch is a devout believer, that’s admirable, although his devotion to the Great Pumpkin entity borders on idolatry.”

“Cas,” Dean huffs out, “Linus is an idiot! Here you have kids like me and Sam who were never allowed to trick or treat and then you’ve got this moron that doesn’t realize how good he’s got it and throws it all away!”

“Come on, Dean, you gotta remember Linus is only a kid,” said Sam.

“Still a dumbass!” Dean barked. “But, the kid’s stupidity brings up a good point. I’ve been thinking. How would you like to go trick or treating?”

“What? No. Dean, that’s dumb.” Sam in all of his ten-year-old awkwardness flashed Dean an epic bitch face. Dean laughed at how funny the look his brother had perfected as an adult appeared on his younger self.

“Wait, wait, hear me out,” Dean said holding up his hands to stop Sam’s protests while he tried to stifle his laughter. ”This is something we never got to do before. Look at this as a do over, a second chance, and think of all of the candy! Candy, Sammy!”

“You have got to be kidding me. We’re too old for that sort of thing. What are you, twelve?” huffed Sam.

“No, but you are,” Dean said, clapping Sam on the shoulder, “younger actually. It’ll be fun. We can bring Cas along too.” Turning back to his friend, he said, “How about it Cas, care to join me while I take the squirt trick or treating?”

“Of course, Dean. It has to better than the last Halloween we spent together.”

Sam, remembering that the last time they’d been with Cas on Halloween was back when they were trying to keep from breaking the seals that would unleash Lucifer onto the world, thought it best to change the subject.

“Hey, how about we watch the Nightmare Before Christmas next. It came out when I was ten and we never got to see it. Now’s our chance.”

“What happened to ‘Dean this is dumb’,” Dean asked.

“Shut up, Jerk. A guy can change his mind,” defended Sam.

“Whatever, Bitch, just start the movie,” Dean said while hiding his pleased smile behind a handful of popcorn.


	3. Chapter 3

With the decision made to embrace the Halloween spirit, the Winchesters set about making plans for the upcoming weekend.

     “If you expect me to dress up for Halloween and troll for candy for you, Dean, we’re going to have to get me a costume,” Sam said the following morning over a bowl of oatmeal.

     Dean looked up from his own breakfast. ”Can’t you just throw a sheet over your head and go as a ghost?”

     “What? No! That would be lame. You’re not getting off easy, Dean. You wanted this remember? This is our one and only shot so we’re going all out and doing it right.”

     “Guess a trip to a store is in order then. Clean up and we’ll head out. I’m gonna go find Cas,” Dean said over his shoulder, leaving Sam with kitchen duty.

     Sam found himself alone with the morning breakfast mess. “How did this happen?” Sam muttered, looking around the kitchen. “All of the sudden I got stuck with chores.”

Dean found Cas in a corner of the library fiddling with the second-hand stereo system they had purchased shortly after moving into the bunker. He watched from the doorway before crossing the room to where his friend stood, headphones over his ears, pushing buttons on the dual-cassette deck.

“Whatcha up to Cas?” Dean asked after pulling the earpiece away from the angel’s ear.

“I’m compiling a cassette tape. I thought it would be good to have some thematic music for the pending festivities.”

“We’re going trick or treating, Cas. It isn’t exactly something that requires a theme song,” Dean laughed. “Anyway, we’ll be heading into town to find a costume for Sam.”

“La Dow’s doesn’t have anything that Sam would be able to use as a costume. There was little there last week when we went to find more suitable, smaller clothing. I suggest we take a trip to a larger town,” Cas advised.

“No shit, Cas. Lebanon isn’t exactly buzzing with activity. This town only has two hundred people,” Dean scoffed. “Ah fuck, now that I think of it we’ll have to leave town on Halloween, otherwise we’ll be done in fifteen minutes.”

Cas gave Dean a contemplative glance and said, “Is it important to you that Sam has the best experience possible?”

“Yeah, it is. Sammy deserves something good for a change. Come on, we can talk about it with Sam on the way to Concordia.”

 

     During the hour long trek to Concordia the trio worked out some of the details for their Halloween plans.

     “Any idea what you want for your costume since a ghost isn’t good enough for you?” Asked Dean.

     “Don’t be a jerk Dean. A sheet would just be a half-assed way to do this,” said Sam as he leaned forward into the front seat. He had been relegated to the back seat because of child safety concerns.

     Cas looked at Dean and asked, “You wanted Sam to wear a sheet? That’s hardly a realistic representation of a cursed spirit. I think it would be best if Sam avoided dressing up as a spirit all together. The ethereal imagery would be hard to replicate.”

     “Nobody asked you, Cas.” Dean griped. “So anyway Sam, have you thought about it? Superhero, monster, zombie… Sky’s the limit, kid.”

     “Harry Potter”

     “Come on Sam. You can’t be serious. Every time I look at you I’m gonna think of Paul Rudd saying ‘Hairy Twatter and the Sorcerer’s Bone’.”

     “Gross Dean!” Sam balked.

     “If you want to do something like that you should at least dress up as Hermione since you act like a girl half the time and already have the long hair. We won’t even have to buy you a wig,” teased Dean.

     “That’s what I want Dean!” insisted Sam, beginning to sound more his physical age with his brother’s continued jokes. “You said the ‘sky’s the limit,’ that I could be whatever I wanted. _I want a Harry Potter costume!”_

     “Alright, calm down, Sammy,” said Dean. Looking over at Cas, he asked, “Are you sure he doesn’t have the brains of a kid? Cuz I sense a tantrum coming on.”

“I don’t see that being any different than how Sam usually is,” Cas deadpanned.

“Ha!” Dean barked.

Sam crossed his arms in the back seat and sulked, “You two suck!”

     Dean pulled the Impala into the Walmart parking lot. He figured one stop shopping. In, out, and be done with it. The problem was, Sam was being difficult.

     “Man, these costumes suck. They have cheap fabric and feel funny. The wizard robes don’t even look right,” Sam complained. “Anyone who takes their cosplay seriously knows it’s all about the details.”

     “What about this one,” Dean suggested holding up a black gauzy robe with a Gryffindor patch glued on it.

     “No, not good enough,” insisted Sam after giving the costume a cursory glance.

     “Help me out here, Cas. He’s being unreasonable,” Dean said, sounding extremely put upon.

     “If I recall, you told your brother ‘look at this as a do over, a second chance’ and then later, ‘the sky’s the limit’,” Cas replied while making air quotes with his fingers.

     Dean glared at Cas irritated at not getting the support he had anticipated from his friend.

     “Okay, fine, Bitch, what do you want to do then?” Dean growled.

     Sam started ticking off his mental list. “Let’s see, I need a white dress shirt, a gray sweater vest, a burgundy and yellow tie, and glasses. We may be better off hitting a thrift store.”

     “Okay, let’s find a thrift store so you can play dress up,” said Dean, shoulders slumping in defeat.

     “Just remember, this was all your idea man,” Sam shot back.

     As the brothers returned to the Impala they tried to think of the different stores that might have what they were looking for. They were getting so annoyed with each other that they attempted to enlist Cas’ help.

     “The local parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, has an affiliated thrift store.” Cas supplied as they reached the car.

     Dean turned in his seat and glared at his friend, “ _Now_ you decide to be helpful.”

     Cas shrugged in response. “I remembered it from the time I was searching the world for my father. It seemed as good a place to look as any.”

     Upon their arrival at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Cas chose to visit the church while Sam and Dean headed to the nearby thrift shop.

     One of the volunteers greeted them as they entered the store. When she saw Dean and Sam looking at the racks of donated costumes she sidled up to Dean and asked, “Looking for costume ideas for your son?”

     Sam snickered at the look of surprise on Dean’s face. They had forgotten to come up with a story for why a 36-year-old man would be out with a 10-year-old kid.

Dean decided to go with it. It was more believable than the truth, and there was no way he was going to tell anyone that Sam, or this version of him, was his younger brother. That would only invite more questions about the huge age difference between them. He really didn’t want to waste time about blended families, oops babies, or any other answers he may be forced to fabricate. Playing the dad was the easiest choice in this scenario.

     “Uh, yeah. Why don’t you tell the lady what you are looking for. She might be able to help you put a costume together.

     The volunteer, a young woman in her early twenties, and who was quite familiar with the Harry Potter series, was more than happy to help Sam when he told her about what he had in mind. It turned out that they had a black vintage children’s choir robe that looked almost exactly like a wizarding robe. As she and Sam hunted for the other pieces of his costume, Dean relaxed by looking through the boxes of vinyl records for sale.

     While Sam and the shop volunteer continued to look, Cas reappeared at Dean’s side. Sam and the girl looked up just as Cas crowded close to Dean as he tended to do. Sensing an opportunity to tease his brother, Sam grabbed a nearby lab coat and pair of men’s cowboy boots.

     “Hey, _Dad_ ,” Sam called out across the store. At that both Dean and Cas whipped their heads his direction. “Look what I found,” he said holding up the lab coat and boots. “You can dress up as Doctor Sexy for Halloween!”

     Dean approached him with Cas in tow. “How about no,” he answered. The shop volunteer, admiring Cas, murmured, “Is that your uncle?”

     Just as Dean was in earshot Sam made sure to say, “Nah, that’s my Dad’s boyfriend.”

He flashed Dean a quick grin. Dean stuttered and flushed, caught off guard. Cas gave the brothers a puzzled look. Sensing tension in the air, the woman who had been helping Sam drifted away.

     “What the hell, Sam?” Dean hissed while Sam laughed.

     “Ha! The look on your face was classic. She completely bought it by the way. You two are very convincing. You don’t even have to try!”

     “Stuff it, Sam”

     “I think you should dress up too, Dean. After all, this is your one and only shot at Halloween, too,” reasoned Sam.

     “No, it’s good enough for me that I’m taking you,” Dean countered.

     “But,” Cas said, “I thought this was going to be something you both experienced together.”

     “Forget it, guys. I’m not going to be the one dork adult dressed up with his kid.” Dean crossed his arms sullenly and glared at the two. “The only way I’d even _consider_ dressing up as Doctor Sexy is if Cas wore a costume too, and you know that’s not going to happen,” Dean said, confident that he had won the argument.

     “I could wear a costume,” assured Cas. “If that’s what would put you more at ease, I’d be happy to join in the Halloween experience with you.”

     “Uh,” Dean quickly backpedaled. “I meant the only way I’d do it is if you’d ‘wear’ your wings,” he added, sure _that_ would get him off the hook.

     Narrowing his eyes and looking carefully at Dean, Cas slowly said, “You want me to display my wings?”

     “Yeah, that’s the only way I’ll do it,” said Dean again confident that Cas would refuse.

     “As you wish,” Cas replied as Dean stared back at him googly-eyed, while Sam’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

     “Dude,” whispered Sam, “did you and Cas just have a Princess Bride moment?” He broadly grinned. “Huh, I guess that means Cas is your Wesley.”

     “Shut, up Sam,” Dean barked at him, blushing.

He grabbed the lab coat and boots from his brother and stomped towards the register.


	4. Chapter 4

Once back at the bunker, Dean and Sam debated where would be the best place to go for their first real Halloween. Lebanon was out because of its size, so they look on the internet for the closest towns with the most activities.

“Hey, did you know that a lot of businesses give out free stuff on Halloween? You’re our ticket to more than just candy, Sammy!” Dean crowed, fist pumping in the air.

Rolling his eyes, Sam said, “I thought we were looking for things we could do, not stuff you could mooch off of people.”

“Isn’t that what Halloween is about, begging for candy, getting stuff for free?” Dean asked, incredulous.

“Actually the origins of Halloween—” began Cas.

“Not now, Cas!” Sam and Dean said in unison. He shrugged and returned to his reading, leaving the brothers to fight amongst themselves.

“Your criteria for where we go on Halloween is the place where we can get the most stuff for free?” Sam said shaking his head and giving his brother an annoyed look.

“Yeah, why not?” Asked Dean looking actually surprised that his brother couldn’t see the genius of his plan.

Reading from his laptop, Sam concluded, “Concordia is one of the closest big towns and we’re familiar with it.”

“Nope. There’s no Chipotles, IHOP, or Krispy Kreme in Concordia.” Dean was vehement in his response. The Golden Trinity of Goodness were the indication of a ‘big’ town.

“Really Dean? Come on be reasonable,” Sam said, even though he was fairly sure he was going to lose the battle.

Dean ignored his brother and barreled on with his explanation. “I’m thinking Lawrence is our best bet. It’ll have all the places I want to go, plus it’s a college town. Lots of parties, activities, and plenty of free flowing candy.”

“But Dean,” Sam started.

Dean crossed his arms and glared at his brother. “Forget it, Hairy Twatter! You got what you wanted. This is what I want.”

With that, Sam began to concentrate his efforts on searching for things to do in Lawrence.

Cas, who for his part had chosen to remain neutral in the discussion of where they would go, finally decided to speak. “You two do realize that Lawrence is almost a four-hour drive from here? This isn’t exactly a day trip.”

“I kind of figured as much when Dean gave me his list of demands,” laughed Sam. “Why don’t we head out tomorrow, so we’re not rushed? The Lawrence Events site lists a few different things we can do tomorrow evening.”

“What sort of things?” Dean asked, as he and Cas crowded around Sam and his laptop.

Sam began to run down the list he had found. “The Watkins Museum of History has a Dia de los Muertos Exhibit – Celebrating the days of the dead traditions.”

“Nope!” Dean quickly squashed that idea. “Too much like work. We’re taking a break from all things hunt related.”

“Dean, I think you would find an examination of these traditions quite interesting.” Cas explained, “Dia de los Muertos is actually a time when people honor their dead. The dead do not come back to haunt on that day, but to commune with loved ones and be celebrated, or so it’s believed.”

“Yeah, still not doing it.”

“Okay then, how about the Lawrence Ghost Tour?”

“What the hell is the matter with you, Sam? One ghost in Lawrence was more than enough. We don’t need to go hunting for more!”

“Well it’s kind of difficult to avoid the ghost and monster theme on Halloween, moron. Quit being such a dumbass about it!”

“I’m a dumbass? You’re a dumbass for suggesting the crap in the first place bitch,” nagged Dean.

“Jerk!”

“Sam, Dean,” Cas interjected, as the brothers started to argue furiously, “I thought the whole purpose of our trip was to do something new that you haven’t done before. It appears that the de-aging process has done nothing to change the dynamic between you two. How about trying something new with this experience and refraining from squabbling?”

The brothers looked taken aback at Cas’ accusation. Sufficiently chastised, they returned to the Lawrence event calendar.

Cas, looking over Sam’s shoulder, seemed to find something of interest.

“How about this, Angels and Ancestors: An All Hallows Celebration,” Cas asked, as he reached towards the laptop and clicked on the link for more information.

A Facebook page came up explaining that the event was held at Lavender House, an interspiritual retreat center hosted by a consortium of diversely gifted women who offered spiritual friendship and a wellness service.

He read out loud, “Join us for a weekend of Spiritual Thin Space as we celebrate The Wise, The Beloved, The Inspiring Spirits of Life and Death”

“Okay, that’s it. You don’t get a vote Cas! No hippy, new age crap,” Dean snapped, as an irritated Sam slapped Cas’s hand away from the mouse.

“Besides, I hardly think that is a place a ten-year-old would be expected to enjoy himself,” complained Sam.

Defeated, Cas returned to his seat at the table and threw the two of them a withering look.

“I know what we can do,” Sam shouted. He continued once he had the others’ attention, “An Evening of Mystery and Magic!”

“I thought you outgrew your magic fascination, Sammy,” said Dean.

“It would be best if you avoided magic considering all that has happened in the last two weeks,” Cas added.

“Not the spell work and witchcraft kind of magic, Cas, illusions. I used to love that stuff when I was a kid! Look!” Sam gestured at the Theatre Lawrence website. “There are three full-length magic shows, storytelling, and a pumpkin contest. They’ll even have a food truck, Dean! Big Boyz BBQ will have specialty tacos.”

Interested,Dean responded, “Barbeque tacos? Count me in!” He clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together with glee. “Okay then, we’ll head out tomorrow morning, find ourselves a room for the night, and hit the town.”

Dean stood up and patted Sam on the shoulder. “Get some sleep Sammy. We need to rest up for all the fun we’ll have this weekend. Goodnight Sammy. ‘Night Cas.”

“Goodnight Dean, Sam,” Cas nodded as the brothers headed towards the bunker’s sleeping quarters.


	5. Chapter 5

After a good night’s sleep, the Winchesters were ready to head out on what Dean had dubbed “Dean, Sam, and Cas’ Halloween Adventure’. Dean had packed their duffle bags with extra clothing and their costumes into the trunk of the Impala the previous night to avoid accidentally leaving anything behind. It wouldn’t do to screw up their one and only Halloween by forgetting the costume his brother had practically had a tantrum over.

Behind the wheel of the Impala, Dean honked the horn and hollered for Sam and Cas to hurry up. His friend slid into the front seat beside Dean while his little brother climbed into the back. With the windows rolled down and a cool crisp autumn breeze rustling their hair, they left Lebanon behind.

As they headed east towards Lawrence, Cas pulled a cassette tape out of his trench coat pocket.

“Whatcha got there Cas,” Dean asked glancing over at the angel.

“This is the mix tape I put together back at the bunker. Would you mind if I play it?” Cas asked.

“Why not? It’s your Halloween Adventure as much as ours. We might as well see what your contribution is,” replied Dean.

“Hey!” Sam balked from the backseat. “What ever happened to ‘Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole’?”

“This is a special occasion, Sam. I can make an exception, driver’s prerogative.” Motioning towards the angel with his head, he added, “Go ahead Cas put the cassette in.”

The song that filled the Impala began with twelve solitary notes which sounded like the chime of a clock at midnight followed by the discordant sound of violins. The violins were then joined by other wind and string instruments.

Dean stared for a moment at the deck, horrified at what was playing. “Uh, what sort of theme music is this Cas?” Dean demanded.

“It’s Camille Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre.” Cas explained blythely. “It represents the story of an old French superstition of Death appearing at midnight on Halloween when the veil between your world and the afterlife is at its thinnest. Death calls for the dead to come dance from their graves until dawn.”

From the backseat Sam added, “I remember this from a music appreciation course I took in college. It’s really quite a beautiful piece.”

“Really? You two are going to geek out over this? Unbelievable!” whined Dean.

“I can stop the music if it’s not to your liking,” Cas murmured, moving to eject the cassette from the tape deck.

His features softening, Dean reached out and grabbed his friend by the wrist. “No forget about it Cas, it’s not so bad after all. It couldn’t hurt to get a little culture in my life,” Dead said with a small smile he shared with Cas.

“Who are you and what have you done with my brother?” Sam questioned from the rear of the car.

“Shut up Sam, I can deal with something different if it makes Cas happy,” grumbled Dean.

“Man, Cas has you whipped,” whispered Dean’s younger brother.

“Leave it alone Sam,” growled Dean.

The rest of the drive to Lawrence was spent listening to Cas’ Halloween theme mix. Dean found that he kind of liked the eclectic selection of music that Cas had chosen for the trip. There was more classical, like Bach’s Toccata en Fugue in D minor; classics that Dean and Sam were already familiar with like Werewolves of London, the Monster Mash, and the Witch Doctor; even some songs from the Phantom of the Opera.

He was surprised to find Metallica’s Enter Sandman on the tape and found that he enjoyed the Ghost of Stephen Foster and Hell by the Squirrel Nut Zippers. The last two songs seemed oddly fitting considering his life. Dean had to smile that the angel without a clue had come up with a decent music selection.

They arrived in Lawrence a little after three. As the trio weren’t on a hunt and were on a vacation of sorts they decide on slightly better accommodations. The problem was that slightly better digs equated to almost quadruple the cost of what they normally would pay for a room. Because of Halloween and the KU Jayhawks having their homecoming game on the same weekend, the hotel occupancy and pricing were at an all-time high.

Unfortunately, Sam was unable to use any of his credit cards, no one expected a kid to have credit. Dean had accidentally left his cards at the bunker and only had enough cash to pay for the typical Winchester fair of a rundown roadside lodge. The cheapest rooms in town were all booked. They began to worry that the weekend would be over before it had even started.

“Hey Cas, do you think you could pop back to the bunker and get my credit cards?” Dean begged.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll use mine,” he said retrieving a card from his coat pocket and handing it to the registration clerk. It felt strange to Dean, having someone else step up and take responsibility. He was used to watching over Sammy whether he was ten or thirty-two, but he wasn’t used to someone looking after him. The whole situation seemed surreal.

Once they had settled into their room Dean asked, “When the hell did you get a credit card, Cas.”

“Sam helped me get one,” the angel sighed. “After my brief stint as a human I realized that easy access to funds would be necessary were it to ever happen again. I’ll need a means to provide for myself if I am once again left bereft of my grace.”

Dean was left quiet and humbled by what his friend had said, knowing he had been one of the reasons Cas had struggled. Making Cas leave the bunker two years earlier had been one of his greatest regrets. Yet despite it all, Cas was here with the brothers now, stepping up to lend a hand. Dean found himself a little unsettled by his desire to keep from hurting Cas again. The angel that had gripped him tight and raised him from perdition still managed to look after him and Sam even when it was least expected; despite both his own and Dean’s past mistakes, Cas remained true.

Cas, noticing Dean’s mood turn melancholy, asked, “Dean, are you alright?”

“What, huh? Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” responded Dean, shaking off his revelry. “We should get something to eat before the nerd’s magic show.”

Turning his attention to his brother he said, “What do you say Sammy? Ready to find a place for dinner?”

“Sure Dean,” Sam remarked from the second bed, where he had quietly been observing the exchange between his brother and friend. He silently wondered how much longer it would be before their awkward situation came to a head.

They found a restaurant called Mariscos not far from the Festival of Magic and Mystery. It was decidedly more upscale than the diners they were used to but it was convenient. Despite its upscale atmosphere, the Winchesters were not immune to scrutiny. Other patrons murmured as they caught sight of them. Dean was honestly baffled. What was so awkward about their party that made people take notice? After talking with Sam and Cas while waiting for their meals, Dean put together the reason for the shift in the atmosphere around them.

Sam had been calling him Dad in public and just calling Cas by name, not anything else that would hint at relation, no Uncle Cas or the like. It occurred to Dean that people had decided that he and Cas were together, as in together together.

His suspicions were confirmed when he heard the judgmental old bitch the next table over remark that it was scandalous that Dean had dragged his son with him on a date. He couldn’t help but respond to the stupidity of the whole situation.

Turning to face the other table, Dean stared them down and said, “This is a family evening. We’re taking my kid to the magic show. Do you have a problem with that?”

Cas flagged down a waiter to pay the bill. It would be better to leave before Dean let his temper get the better of him.

As they walked down the street to the Theatre Lawrence where the festival was to be held Dean began to rant.

“What the hell is the matter with people? Can’t two friends enjoy each other’s company without people having to read into it? It just pisses me off! Why the hell do people even care?”

“I don’t know, Dean,” said Sam and Cas in unison.

“Stupid people and their stupid labels,” cursed Dean.

Despite the awkward start to the evening, the three of them enjoyed themselves at the festival. Dean was mildly in awe of his brother’s rapt attention to the various magic performances at the venue. It was almost as if Dean was able to rewind time and catch a second glimpse of Sam as he was when he first began to become fascinated with magic and magicians. Smiling, Dean watched Sam.

Cas watched Dean.

All was well. Dean had his brother and his friend. Together they were gearing up to enjoy the next day, their first Halloween. 


	6. Chapter 6

“Rise and shine Sammy!” Dean hollered. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us. Let the festivities begin.”

     Once they had taken turns in the shower, Dean urged Sam to put on his costume.

     “Don’t you think it’s a little early for our costumes?” Sam asked.

     “Hey, we’re only going to do this once, so go big or go home,” laughed Dean.

     While Sam donned his shirt, vest, and tie, Dean began to pull on the cowboy boots he had purchased in Concordia. Next they helped each other with their final pieces, Dean helping Sam wiggle into his wizard robe while Cas waited so he could help Dean pull on his lab coat.

     “What about you Cas?” questioned Dean. “Let’s see the wings.”

     “I’ll need some space, so clear the way. And shield your eyes while I manifest my wings. It can be tricky to call them up and keep them in proportion to my vessel. I’d hate to slip and knock someone over.”

     Dean and Sam waited patiently on the bed, eyes closed, for Cas to show his wings to the world. The two brothers felt an electric buzzing in the air, felt it gather and coalesce around them and felt the hair on their arms stand on end. They heard a not so distant thunderclap and waited.

     “Okay, it’s safe to open your eyes now,” said Cas, as he inspected himself in the mirror.

Dean sat speechless and swallowed.

     “Wow, just wow,” whispered Dean.

     Sam looked at his brother and said, “I know right?!”

     Dean shook his head to clear the fog in his brain. “Well, yeah, um, let’s head on out.”

     “Where to first?” asked Sam once they were situated in the Impala. Dean cast a sideways glance at Cas with his wings tucked up and slightly around him so as not to obstruct Dean’s view while he was driving.

     “Breakfast at IHOP. You’ll get a free witch face pancake,” said Dean.

     Sam crinkled his nose and said, “Really Dean?”

     “Of course,” said Dean with a twinkle in his eye.

     “Humor him Sam,” Cas urged. Looking fondly in Dean’s direction he added, “If this is what makes his day special we should see to it that he has a good time.”

     The rest of the day was filled with Dean driving them from place to place in search of Halloween giveaways. They went to Krispy Kreme where they each were given a free donut. Cas squinted at his and wondered out loud why they all had hideous orange and black icing faces.

     “It’s supposed to be a jack-o’-lantern Cas,” Dean quipped. “Just shut up a eat it. If you aren’t going to eat it I’ll take yours.”

Cas continued to stare incredulously at his donut. Finally Dean reached across the table and plucked the donut from Cas’ hand. “Such a waste,” Dean said before looking Cas in the eye and taking a bite.

They followed up with fifty cent corndogs at Sonic for lunch and discounted Chipotle burritos for an early dinner.

As they headed towards the more residential areas for Sam to start trick or treating, Sam noticed a Natural Grocers was advertising a healthy trick or treat.

“Come on, let’s check it out,” said Sam while tugging on his brother’s arm.

“Are you nuts?” exclaimed Dean. “Halloween’s about the candy, for God’s sake. Whoever heard of a healthy Halloween?”

“Let’s go Dean,” Sam implored. “I want to see what it’s all about! I’m not above throwing an age appropriate tantrum!”

A crowd had begun to gather around the trio. Cas stood resolutely by and watched with the rest of the onlookers.

“A little help Cas,” Dean said.

“I see no reason why you should ignore Sam’s request,” the angel replied.

Sam turned and fixed his brother with gimlet stare.

“Ugh! Fine! Fine!” Dean growled, throwing his hands up in the air.

Sam, with a smug look, turned and marched into the Natural Grocers, wizarding robes flowing behind him.

A half an hour later, they exited the store. Sam had a bag filled with organic apples, all natural ginger candies, and a variety of nut bar samples. Dean couldn’t believe how ecstatic his brother was. He shouldn’t have been surprised. His little brother was a healthy little, at least for the time being, freak of nature, always was, always would be.

As evening quickly approached, Dean, Sam, and Cas headed for the wealthy part of town to begin their quest for candy.

Cas had managed to go the bulk of the day without much notice. Once throngs of children and their parents began to flood the streets, however, more and more people noticed his prominent wings. Small children reached out to stroke his feathers. He didn’t mind that so much, children were relatively harmless. But because of the sheer number of people Cas thought it best to hang back near the sidewalk as Sam went to each door with Dean.

After a while, Dean decided to hang back with Cas and keep him company. They noticed other parents doing the same, allowing their children to go to each door on their own. Dean became aware of the other adults sizing him and Cas up, and overheard one or two comment on how lovely it was that two dads would take their son out trick or treating and wear costumes themselves. Dean’s skin started to prickle as he began to feel the scrutiny of the unwanted attention.

“Dude,” he murmured to Cas, “Everyone thinks we’re a couple.”

Cas fixed him with a concerned gaze. “Is there really any harm in that Dean? Why should it matter as long as we know what we are to each other?” Cas assured his friend, gently grasping his shoulder where he had once left his mark on the Righteous Man.

Dean relaxed and said, “I suppose you’re right Cas.”

Teenagers began to join the younger children on the candy walk. Some were helpful, accompanying younger siblings, while others were obnoxious and boisterous. The later began to harass Cas and outright mock him for his “costume”.

“What the hell are you supposed to be?” one pack of teens taunted as they tugged and pulled at his wings.

Cas could tolerate it for only so long before he stared them down, eyes beginning to glow and ground out, “I am an Angel of the Lord!”

Cas’ harassers didn’t grasp the danger they were in. Sam, returning from a house with a full-size Snickers in his hand, saw the expansion and fluffing of Cas’ wings. He quickly enlisted Dean’s help in diffusing the situation. Dean had been playing Angry Birds on his phone and had missed the impending hostilities.

That didn’t last long.

“Oh shit!” Dean cried once he saw what was happening, quickly stepping between them, acting as a barrier between the vengeful angel and the obnoxious punks that finally had the good sense to beat a hasty retreat. “Cas, _Cas_ , come on now, buddy! This isn’t the time or place. Let’s not go all smitey on anyone now, you hear?”

Dean gripped both of Cas’ arms and ran his hands up to Cas’ shoulders. He then held either side of the angel’s face in his hands, stared him in the eyes and prayed Cas recognized him and refrained from going supernova and taking Dean (and possibly the whole block) with him.

Slowly, Cas calmed and Dean breathed a sigh of relief.

Several onlookers visibly relaxed and remarked on how touching it was to see the couple before them ground each other in such a loving way. Dean reminded himself of what Cas had said earlier about their bond. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought as long as the two of them knew what it was they had between them. Of course, Dean wasn’t so sure that he did know entirely what they had between them, but he decided he really didn’t care and wouldn’t bother worrying about whether anybody else cared.

“You know,” Sam said joining his brother and friend on the sidewalk, “I think I’ve had enough of this door-to-door business. We should head out to get something to eat.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

They had decided to visit a smokehouse in the neighboring town of Eudora to round out their evening. Cutter’s Smokehouse advertised a family atmosphere, a live band, a costume contest for the under-eighteen crowd, and one for the over-eighteen crowd.

As they sidled into a booth, Sam released his breath in a whoosh, “Man I’m exhausted.”

“It certainly has been an interesting day,” said Cas.

“I’m going to get us some drinks. Do you know what you want?” Dean asked.

“I could really use a beer right about now,” Sam muttered.

“Well that’s not going to happen as long as you’re a kid,” Dean responded. “How about a Coke instead? What about you Cas?”

“Surprise me.”

“Alrighty then, I’ll be back,” said Dean as he headed for the bar.

Dean returned to find his brother and friend in amicable discussion about their weekend. He put down the drinks and slid into the booth next to Cas.

“All in all, I think Dean, Sam, and Cas’ Halloween Adventure was a success,” Dean declared. “How did it feel to finally get to go trick or treating Sammy?”

“I have to say, I’m glad we did it. Thanks for insisting on the experience, Dean. It was much more fun than I expected.” He thought for a moment and added, “ I think with my adult perspective, I was able to understand it better than I would have if I just had that single-minded drive for candy that a kid would have.”

Dean reached across the table and grabbed Sam’s candy bag.

“Time to see what you got.” He poured them out over the table, impressed. “Oh! Someone got lucky tonight! Look at all of these full-size candy bars!”

“What about you Dean? How was it for you?” Sam asked meeting his brother’s eyes and silently asking the answer to questions Dean would rather leave ignored.

“In the words of Bill and Ted, it was most excellent,” Dean said raising his glass in a toast to his brother and friend. “Most excellent indeed.”

“After this drink we should head on back to the bunker,” suggested Sam.

Dean tipped back his drink and swallowed it down, banging his glass upon the table. “All right, let’s head on out!”

Dean and Cas drove back to the bunker in companionable silence. Sam had long ago fallen asleep in the backseat. They arrived home at around two in the morning and park the Impala in the bunker’s garage. Dean and Cas simultaneously reached behind them to wake Sam only to find that, during the return trip, Sam had transformed back to his 6’4” thirty-two-year-old self.

They helped Sam out of the Impala and into the bunker. “Welcome back Sammy, welcome back. Go to bed, we’ll see you in the morning,” Dean urged him towards the sleeping quarters in the bunker.

After Sam headed off to bed, Dean and Cas decided to sort through Sam’s candy. Dean threw his arm around his friend’s shoulders and said, “Now, I’ll teach you ways of nougat, caramel, and marshmallow crème. I’ll have you knowing all there is to know about candy in no time.”

Dean thought about the last few days and how comfortable he felt with Cas. He thought of how accepting Sam had been with the two of them despite his teasing. Even if he wasn’t comfortable with the opinions others formed about him, he remembered what Cas had said, “Why should it matter as long as we know what we are to each other?”

Decision made, he grinned at his angel and, plucking one of the tiny, foil-wrapped candies from its pumpkin-print baggie, leaned in to touch Cas’ lips softly with his own, and said, “Let’s start with a kiss.”


End file.
